Electrical cigar or cigarette lighter



May 29, 1951 B. T. JoNx-:s 2,554,743

ELECTRICAL CIGR OR CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed March 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet1 /l la 2 E@ Benjamin 7'. Jones INVENToR.

May 29, 1951 B. T. JONES 2,554,743

ELECTRICAL CIGAR OR CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed March 13, 195o 2sheets-sheet 2 20 '/9 20 F lg. 4

Benjamin T. Jones INVENroR.

Patented May 29, 1951 ELECTRICAL CIGAR OR CIGARETTE LIGHTER Benjamin T.Jones, Miami Beach, Fla., assignor to Aeromar, Inc., Miami, Fla., acorporation of Florida Application March 13, 1950, Serial No. 149,328

1 Claim. (Cl. 219-32) This invention relates toelectrical cigar orcigarette lighters of the type including a housing having spacedcontactstherein, and a lighter member removably positioned in the housing andhaving an incandescent wire at its inner end provided with spaceterminals adapted to be engaged with said contacts for causing saidincandescent wire to be heated upon pressing said lighter memberinwardly of the housing.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a lighterofthe above type which is adapted to use the relatively high voltagecurrent of a house wiring system without danger of readily burning outvthe incandescent wire, and which may be made relatively small andmanufactured at a relatively low cost.

In accordance with the present invention, a resistance element isincluded in the lighter circuit in series with the incandescent wire bybe ing interposed between one contact of the house ing and one wire ofan attachment cord whose other wire is connected to the other contact ofthe housing, said resistance element being such that the voltage dropacross the same is considerably greater than that across theincandescent wire. The resistance element may be arranged and mounted ina support which carries the lighter housing, and is suitably housed andinsulated.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when considered with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure l is a top plan View of an ash receptacle equipped with a lighterembodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 2, showing a modification.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a View somewhat similar to Figure 4, showing a furthermodification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates a support which is`shown as a hollow base or stand provided with an ash receiver havingspaced marginal recesses I forming cigar or cigarette rests. The supporthas an opening 8 in which is tted the outer or upper end of theinsulating housing S of the present cigar or cigarette lighter, saidhousing being suitably secured to the support as at I0.

The present lighter also includes a lighter member I I comprising aninsulating body I2 having an incandescent wire I3 at its inner end and aknob I4 at its outer end. The housing 9 carries within its inner endspaced contacts I5 and I5 into engagement with which spaced vterminalsI6 and I6 of the wire I3 may be moved, by pressing the lighter member Ilinwardly of the housing 9, to heat said wire I3. After the wire I3 isheated, pressure on the member II is released, and then said member IImay be removed from the housing 9 to light a cigar or cigarette in amanner generally well known in the art. Current for the lighter isderived from a house wiring system by means of an attachment cord I'I'having wires connected at one end of said cord to the contacts I5 and I5and at the other end of said cord to a plug connector I8 adapted forreception in an outlet receptacle of the wiring system.

Spring means is provided to normally yieldingly hold the lighter memberin a partially withdrawn position within the housing 9 with theterminals I6 and I6' disengaged from the contacts I5 and I5 so that thelighter circuit is open. This means may consist of a disk I9 securedbetween the body I2 and knob I4 and having radial resilient ngers 20engaging the outer end of housing 9. The wire element I3 may be embeddedin the inner end of body I2 in the usual way, but is shown as disposedwithin a metallic casing ZI attached to the inner end of body I2, aswell as disposed adjacent but insulated from the flat bottom wall ofsaid casing 2| to heat and render said bottom wall incandescent.

A resistance element is included in the lighter circuit in series withthe wire I3, said resistance element being such that the voltage dropacross the same is much greater than that across the wire I3, so thatthe latter will not readily burn out when the lighter is operated on therelatively high voltage current of a house wiring system. In Figure 2,the resistance element, indicated at 22, is of the type sold on themarket under the name Calrod, wherein a resistance wire is enclosed inand insulated from a tubular casing. This resistance element is coiledabout the housing 9 and connected at one end to ccntact I5 and at theother end to one wire of the cord il whose other wire is connected tocontact i5'. ln Figure 4, the same type of resistance ele- 3 element 22his similarly connected and consists of a helical wire coiled about thehousing 9 and having an asbestos covering 24. However, this resistanceelement might be embedded in the housing 9. Otherwise the several formsof the invention are alike.

By using the resistance element as disclosed, the lighter may be maderelatively small and at a low cost, and no troublesome and costlyvoltage regulator or step-down transformer is required. The lighterrequires no separate switch, because the lighter circuit is normallyopen and controlled by movement of the lighter member.

What is claimed as new is:

An electrical cigar or cigarette lighter comprising an insulatinghousing having spaced contacts within the inner end thereof, a lightermember removable from said housing and having an incandescent wire atits inner end provided with spaced terminals engageable with said spacedcontacts for causing the incandescent wire to be heated when the lightermember is pressed inwardly of the housing, yieldable means normallyholding the lighter member in a position within the housing with theterminals of the incandescent wire spaced from said contacts, anattachment cord adapted to supply current to said contacts from a houseWiring system and having one wire connected to one of said contacts, aresist- 4 ance element connecting the other wire of said attachment cordto the other contact, said resistance element being of greaterelectrical resistance than said incandescent wire so that the voltagedrop across the same is much greater than that across the incandescentwire, said resistance element being helically coiled and disposed aboutsaid housing, and a protective .covering on the housing and over saidresistance element.

BENJAMIN T. J ONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

